Exploring entrepreneurial orientation in family firms: the relevance of social embeddedness in competition

Andreas Kallmuenzer and Mike Peters

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2017, vol. 30, issue 2, 191-213

Abstract: This article investigates the peculiarity of entrepreneurial attitudes in family firms and how they are perceived to impact performance by qualitatively analysing 25 narrative in-depth interviews with family owner-managers in the state of Tyrol, Austria. Contributing to the transmission of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) construct in family firms, this study adds a thicker description of entrepreneurial attitudes in the family firm context. Findings indicate that aggressive competition contradicts the social embeddedness of family firms and has negative consequences for the family and the firm. The interviewees emphasise non-financial performance goals as drivers of their EO, their social responsibility as a family firm, the embeddedness in regional communities and the importance to be respected by the society.

Keywords: entrepreneurial orientation; family firms; qualitative research; competitive aggressiveness; social embeddedness; entrepreneurship; competition; family business; entrepreneurial attitudes; Austria; non-financial performance; firm performance; performance goals; social responsibility; regional communities. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijesbu:v:30:y:2017:i:2:p:191-213

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